Senator Pauline Hanson has promised to cover the surgery costs for a nine-year-old girl after she has spent seven years on the public hospital waiting list.
Kadee Byrnes, 9, from Yeppoon, about 740km north of Brisbane, Queensland, has been on the public hospital waiting list for seven years in desperate need of adenoid surgery.
The surgery is a procedure to remove the adenoids, small tissue lumps in the nasal cavity, to address her chronic tonsillitis.
The nine-year-old was told she had to repeat the forth grade after missing too many days of school due to the infection.
The One Nation party leader said she was ‘disgusted’ the young girl had to wait so long for surgery and promised to cover the cost of her private treatment.
‘I’m grateful for the opportunity to help 9-year-old Kadee by covering the cost of her private treatment’, Ms Hanson said on Tuesday.
‘It is unacceptable that young Kadee was told she would have to repeat Grade 4 due to missing so many school days because of tonsillitis.
‘Situations like this are sadly all too common and highlight the severe consequences of the Labor government’s lack of investment in our public hospitals, especially outside South East Queensland.’
Senator Hanson broke the news to Kadee’s mother, Kahlia, at a speaking event in Roslyn Bay on Monday.
‘Straight away, I said we’re going to get this operation done. Kahlia you don’t know, I’m paying for it, all right, I’m going to pay for it,’ Senator Hanson said.
Kahlia said she was grateful for Senator Hanson’s generosity and to see her daughter finally have a normal life.
‘I am very that it’s going to end this way,’ Kahlia said.
‘She is finally going to have a surgery and she is finally going to be able to live a life as a normal nine year old,’ Kahlia said.
Kahlia Brynes’ (pictured) nine-year-old daughter has been on the public hospital wait list for seven years, in desperate need for adenoid surgery
Senator Pauline Hanson surprised the mum by promising to cover the cost of her daughter’s private treatment
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Chief Executive Lisa Blackler acknowledged wait times in the public health system were challenging for families.
‘I acknowledge that it is challenging for families who need to wait to access health care,’ Ms Blacklers said.
‘The longest category 2 patient waiting for ENT surgery at Rockhampton Hospital is currently 249 days.’
Rockhampton Base Hospital is the biggest hospital in the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service.
The hospital provides specialist services in ear, nose and throat surgery, gynaecology, orthopaedics, urology, obstetrics, oncology, paediatrics and psychiatry.
It is the largest major hospital in Central Queensland and provides medical services to an estimated 230,000 people throughout the Rockhampton, Gladstone, the Capricorn Coast and Emerald communities.
